


Bird Cage

by i_am_op



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms
Genre: Blindness, Emotional Manipulation, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Obsessive Behavior, Possessive Behavior
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25694860
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_am_op/pseuds/i_am_op
Summary: Erik decides he likes him too much to let him go, to cage him up and lock down his freedom.And for that, he has to make Raoul willingly submit. Thankfully, he has a plan.
Relationships: Raoul de Chagny/Erik | Phantom of the Opera
Comments: 12
Kudos: 86





	Bird Cage

Erik makes the place as fancy as he possibly could, to the point where one would rather dwell in this place and it's luxuries than willingly leave.

Jewels are adorned everywhere, gold carvings, and marble flooring, it's overflowing with excess of _everything_ and Erik thinks that it is truly worthy of a Chagny like Raoul.

When Raoul enters the new mansion, he is astounded. He look around with wide-eyes and awe, bafflement filling his voice like lead and he almost makes himself quite dizzy from looking around too much, not knowing what to focus on the sheer amount of things. Erik is pleased, but he knows, as much as Raoul is amazed and interested at the moment, in the future, he will lose interest quickly as he had gained it. 

Raoul bores easily, he is not one for materialistic things and he prefers horseback riding and sports to just quietly residing inside with Erik.

It is indeed irritating, Erik thinks, that not even something as grand as this, that was built just for Raoul, will be discarded for something as mundane as rugby, but Erik supposes that this is one of the reason he loves Raoul so, for he loves every quirk, every habit, everything about Raoul without exceptions. He loves the bad and the ugly, for he just loves Raoul, himself.

And as much as he loves Raoul, his paranoia is even bigger, overshadowing his love and trust, and he would much rather take comfort in Raoul always being by his side than as to let him go so easily. 

He plants a sweet honey trap. 

***

He starts from the beginning. He courts him with gifts and evening meals spent together, and he kisses him softly, from the forehead, to the nip of his nose, to then his lips. Raoul giggles at the tenderness and reciprocates easily, pliant underneath his touch easily, and gives in to Erik's whims and demands obediently. He is Erik's greatest treasure, for Erik would trade in the thrill of music, the exhilarating rush that floods his body whenever he makes or listen to music. 

"Raoul," Erik says casually, as his arm is draped over Raoul's body. 

Raoul hums in acknowledgment as he is distracted by a book. Erik thinks that one day, when his plans are truly complete, Raoul would only pay attention to him. Soon, he reassures himself. 

"Would you want to live with me?" 

That gets Raoul's attention quickly. His eyes finally tear away from the book and looks eye to eye at Erik's one uncovered eye, pausing for a few beats before accepting happily, throwing himself to Erik's arms. 

"Yes, you didn't even have to ask!" Raoul says, joyfully, his whole body visibly shaking with excitement.

Erik breathes in Raoul's scent and his previous irritation crumbles as he digs his face further into Raoul's shoulders. He wraps his arm around Raoul's neck and he wants to cage him up now when he's at his happiest, to see despair shade over his entire being in a single instant, but Erik rather enjoys seeing Raoul happy, so he swallows his desires down and continues hugging him. 

Raoul is oblivious to Erik's uneasy mind, only happily telling Erik all the things they could do together, share together, and Erik finds that quite enjoyable to listen to. Though, Raoul couldn't do most of the things that he wanted to when he was fully under Erik's grasp. 

This is only the beginning. 

***

The horse that Raoul rides goes berserk one day.

His name is Chip and Raoul had raised him since he was colt, he had never once gone crazy underneath Raoul's care and today is the first such a thing had ever happened. Raoul is thrown off of him when he goes for his weekly rides and he sprains his wrist and fractures his ankle.

Erik, for his part, is quite genuine in his role as a worried lover, for as much as he wants Raoul to be stuck in this bird cage, he would rather not see Raoul in pain-- or rather, pain caused by someone else. But, he tells himself, this is all for the sake of Raoul's own good so he swallows down his guilt and spends the whole time by Raoul's side, tending to his wants and his needs. 

Raoul, on doctor's orders, has to stay in bed for a whole two months. He is quite displeased at the fact, and he practically goes crazy from boredom the whole time despite Erik's company. 

Raoul's constantly questioning of when he was able to go outside drives Erik towards the brink of madness and he nearly just forego his plan entirely on just locking up Raoul now, when he couldn't fight back, but Raoul has to be willing, he has to be unaware that Erik had trapped him, unaware that he was stripped of his free will. 

Raoul is willful and assertive, but he will soon learn, for as much as he is outgoing and friendly, he is Erik's first and foremost.

***

When Raoul is bedridden, he sends a bunch of letters to his friends, carefully crafted and thoughtfully written out in his beautiful penmanship that he's been taught since young, but none of them responds. 

Raoul is despondent and hurt from the lack of replies and he finds solace in Erik who reassures him that none of his friends could possibly hate him, but despite Erik's comforting words, Raoul does worry if his friends really _do_ hate him. 

"Erik, do you think I'm just pestering them at this point?" Raoul questions the other, worry and guilt lacing his voice. He has done no wrong to them, but perhaps, he thinks to himself, he had done wrong and he wasn't aware or the memory had been forgotten. 

Erik, sweet Erik, just smiles and his fingers cascade around Raoul's strands of hair and it's so nice and comforting and Raoul hopes Erik never stops talking to him as well, never abandons him like his friends have because Raoul thinks that he loves Erik more than anything and if Erik were to ignore him as well, he'd have nothing to be happy for. 

"I would've been honored to get a letter from you," Erik mumbles and Raoul's horrible mood turns slightly better as a bright grin takes over his face. 

"I'll write them one more letter," Raoul resolves, finding comfort and confidence in Erik's reassurances. "If they don't respond, I'll stop sending them."

Erik nods compliantly at Raoul's statement and watches as Raoul takes the pen in his hands, and hurriedly writes down multiple letters, each different and each filled to the brim with just pure words, of pure warmth and affection that Raoul still has for them, despite the lack of letters. 

Erik wants to kill all of them. 

When Raoul is finished with the letters, he looks considerably happier than before, as he bounces with excitement and anticipation as he gives the letters to Erik. He has big, wide expectant eyes, almost as if a child who was receiving gifts. 

He is quite cute, Erik thinks to himself, and it pains Erik slightly to realize that his anticipation is for naught. He takes all the letters, reassures his lover with a kiss, and when he closes the letter, he instantly walks to his room instead of ordering his servants to send them. He never plans to even make them even _peek_ at these letters, for everything of Raoul's is his and his alone. 

The letters burn to a crisp in the fire place and Erik enjoys watching the letters get destroyed because these people were not worthy of getting Raoul's attention or time, he was too good for them. 

He lingers around the fireplace for a few more minutes, just watching the paper get burnt into nothingness before he leaves, as it illuminates warmth and cascading an orange hue all over himself, but Erik feels nothing but coldness and nothingness inside him, before he makes his way back to Raoul's room. 

As soon as he enters, Raoul is there, smiling widely and looking out the window, as if the letters would come in an instant, despite Erik just leaving the room. Erik feels the ice coldness inside him boil over and he feels warmth that he could find no place other. He walks towards Raoul and takes his pale hands from the lack of sunlight, into his own. 

Too bad he was waiting for letters that would never come to his hands. 

A few letters arrive the next week and despite Raoul's lack of letters, they come frequently and religiously, as if they were a loyal mutt wagging it's tail towards a master who no longer wanted them, and Erik despises them to the core, for they are all nothing but people that want to monopolize Raoul's attention. He tears and shreds the letters into nothing but small pieces furiously and throw them into the fireplace again. 

Erik glances at the remaining batch of letters sent from Phillipe, the pesky brother of Raoul's and as much as Erik hates to admit, if there's one person that could get Raoul to leave his side so easily, it is this man. So, he burns the letters from Phillipe as well, and makes a letter of his own. 

He's memorized Raoul's handwriting to a tee, every curve, every stray line, every stroke, it's ingrained in his head. He's gotten frequent letters from Raoul when he had been visiting Britain, it had been long and Raoul often got distracted midway, but Erik had studied, traced, and memorized every single letter. Raoul had written five pages worth of just rambles towards Phillipe, but to Phillipe, Erik writes a single sentence. 

_Leave me alone._

He fetches a servant and sends it without a second glance or thought. 

Afterwards, his mailbox gets flooded with letters from Phillipe. He sends at least five a day religiously and Erik just keeps sending back the same letter with the same three words.

Phillipe's letters get less frequent until he sends a final one. Erik pities him and reads the last one, as no one else would be reading it, definitely not Raoul. 

_I hope you are happy and well._

Erik's face twists into something ugly. Phillipe does not get to know how Raoul is, he does not deserve to have Raoul on his mind, he does not deserve Raoul's happiness nor his sadness. He rips it into shreds and throws it in the fireplace, where it burns the brightest that Erik has ever seen. Raoul will be solely his when his plans come to fruition, all he needs is time and this rather irritating brother of his to mind his own business and not stick his neck out in place it shouldn't be in.

With clenched fists and an racing mind, he walks up the stairs and opens the door to Raoul who looks out the window, clutching multiple sheets of parchment paper that have a lack of words on them and a quill which has fallen to the floor as he seems to be holding back tears. 

"What wrong have I done?" He turns his head and questions Erik, almost as if pleading him for an answer. "Why does no one respond?"

"Because they're fools," Erik says easily as he strides towards Raoul. Raoul seems like he does not believe the answer, but he will when Erik has him all to himself. He'll hate them, he'll despise them, he'll feel nothing but anger and nothing of sadness nor missing them. As soon as Erik's besides him, Raoul leans his head against Erik's chest and just stays there, clutching the paper until it crumbles.

Erik peeks at papers that Raoul's holding and sees the word "Phillipe" on it, but it's crossed out with mindless scribbles. He won't even remember this name when Erik is done with him. 

The plan, Erik thinks, is going along quite well. 

***

Christine Daae visits and Erik grinds his teeth and struggles not to choke the life out of her when she asks about Raoul, a name that does not deserve to leave her filthy lips. 

"He is out of town, he's on a trip to deal with something," He lies without a single thought as he takes his seat on a chair. 

Raoul had taken his sleeping pills that the doctor had prescribed to him and Erik is thankful that there wasn't a chance that Raoul would accidentally overhear or maybe even wander. After all, his ankle was nearly completely healed, there was only a slight limp, but Erik had been particularly adamant on keeping him bedridden. 

"Really? Phillipe has been awfully worried about him, he sent a letter to me to visit Raoul because he was unable to," Christine Daae says.

Christine Daae will steal his Raoul one day if Erik is foolish, Erik thinks to himself with an uneasy mind and a frantic heartbeat. His foot taps the ground erratically and his hands clench around his teacup.

"Of course, the navy is quite busy." Erik brings his teacup to his mouth and takes a sip. "Raoul doesn't want to speak to him though."

"Why is that? Raoul loves Phillipe the most in the world, he would never ask his older brother to stay out," Christine reasons as she stares at Erik in the eyes and Erik almost spills his tea with how much his hands are shaking in pure anger. "Something or _someone_ would have to be the reason why Raoul hasn't been properly communicating with Phillipe."

 _Loves Phillipe the most in the world?_ Don't make him laugh. Phillipe would be nothing be an insignificant bug underneath Erik's shoe by the time this whole ordeal is finished and Christine would not even be in Raoul's sights, childhood love or not. Erik will crush any love that Raoul has for others and he'll do so, slowly but surely. 

"Are you perhaps implicating that I had a hand in this, Miss Daae," Erik questions as he places his teacup down. "Because if you did, I would be _terribly_ sad. Nobody cares about Raoul more than I do."

"Is it truly care?" Christine bites out as she struggles to hide her facial expressions that Erik finds pathetic in his mind. "You've been awfully clo--"

"Drink your tea, Miss Daee and cool down. We should act as civil people, don't you think?" Erik says, gesturing to the untouched teacup in front of Christine with a smile. 

Erik could tell Christine resists the urge to splash the tea all over Erik, watching her fingers shake as it curls around her teacup, and instead opts to just swallow the whole thing down in anger to placate him and as soon as she finishes, she goes straight back to asking questions. 

"Raoul wasn't like this just a month ago, what would be the reason for the sudden change? I've heard from his peers and acquaintances, as well as friends, that he's stopped sending letters. Raoul isn't so withdrawn like this, you must have, at least, known the reason why?"

"Perhaps the accident caused Raoul to be withdrawn from his peers ? After all, it was such a sudden thing and I was so worried. I've been encouraging Raoul to write, but he's just been too out of it, lately. I sent him on a trip to regain his old personality, Miss Daae. I have nothing, but love for the man." It resembles more of a warning if anything and Christine falters slightly. 

Gnashing her teeth, Christine steps back slightly and assumes the face a typical noble girl, all smiles and innocence. "It seems you have misunderstood, Monsieur Erik. I am merely worried for a friend I've known since childhood."

Erik hums and brings his teacup upwards. "Well, if you've said all you had wanted to say, you can leave now. Raoul isn't here and we've resolved our issues, haven't we?"

He watches as Christine clenches her fists and glares at the floor, and takes a certain delight in seeing her squirm and be so desperate. Serves her right, Erik thinks to himself, swallowing the sardonic remark that's on the tip of his tongue. He takes another sip of his tea and he finds it quite sweet, sweeter than it was before as he watches Christine in the corner of his eyes. 

She says nothing and just stares at her empty teacup in anger before she shoots up, not even bothering to mask her anger this time. "Alright. I'll be taking my leave then. I'll come visit again."

"Of course. My doors are always open for you."

Christine calls her handmaid that had visited along with her to alert her coachman of her leave and she spares Erik one last look, full of hatred and helplessness before she leaves. Erik escorts her out like a good host would, ignoring the biting looks Christine sends his direction every step of the way. Nothing could bring his good mood down. 

She steps onto her carriage and Erik watches her with a wide smile. "Be careful on your journey, Daae. I wouldn't want anything happening to Raoul's precious childhood friend. He treasures you, quite a bit."

Shivers run down Christine spine at Erik's voice and she does not bid farewell despite politeness ingrained into her, she looks away quickly, slamming her door shut, and she could almost swear she hears the man chuckle to himself. Her handmaid is there, waiting for her with a questioning glance as the carriage starts moving, the sound of horse clacks filling the carriage. 

Christine looks outside the window of her carriage nervously. "I'll keep an eye on Erik. He seems suspicious," She tells her handmaid, as she watches the mansion turn smaller and smaller from her view. 

***

She does not get to investigate him nor figure out who what he truly wanted out of Raoul because she dies a week later. Her health deteriorates and as much as she wants to scream Erik's name, she does not have any energy to talk or even more, she can only desperately look, unable to say or write a thing. 

She dies in just a few days after she gets hit with the sudden illness and her funeral is a private affair, with only a few family and friends. Erik attends it alone, without a single servant by his side, nor Raoul, as he stands there and comforts Christine's parents.

"She was such a good friend of Raoul's," He tells them, shaking his head sadly as he, himself, wipes a single tear away. "I wish Raoul could've made it, but he had a terrible accident just a week prior."

They thank him and find some solace in him, claiming him to be raised everso kindly and to take care of Raoul well, who Christine had treasured.

Erik agrees with a sorrowful smile. He walks up to Christine's coffin and his shoulders shake. 

It really is hard not to laugh in front of her dead body, the body of a stupid, silly little girl who didn't know her place. The silly girl who had gotten too close to his possession.

No matter, for Erik takes care of his things, and he had just gotten rid of a parasite who clung onto Raoul and soaked in his warmth for too long, without any tact.

When Raoul finds out from a passing servant of Christine's death, he's already healed and can walk again. Raoul runs to Erik and despairs over it as Erik merely tells him that he was not informed of this by Christine's family, nor did any of Christine's friends tell Raoul of this.

Raoul's already tearful face falls further and he holes himself up in his bedroom, not allowing anyone to come in. Erik merely unlocks the door with the master key and strokes Raoul's hair silently and comfortingly, as if to remind him that no matter what, Erik was a constant in Raoul's life.

Whether he wanted it or not. 

Raoul, after a few weeks of crying, does not mention Christine again. Nor does he think about her again, for in his mind, Christine had no longer cared for him, so he should do the same at least in honor of what Christine had wanted them to be. Strangers. 

***

Raoul does not go horseback riding ever since the incident. Chip had died after he went berserk and Raoul did not want another horse. Nor does he like to do sports anymore as he no longer has any friends to play it with, and neither does he seem willing to make new friends, much to Erik's delight. So, consequently, he spends most of his time indoors. He reads books about the many different types of butterflies, sits next to Erik and speaks to him for hours and hours on end, and enjoys painting pictures of arbitrary things that catch his eyes. 

Erik, for his part, says nothing about Raoul's changing interest. He merely smiles and accepts Raoul's sudden changes happily. He had thought Raoul did not spend enough time with him, as his time was too often taken away with pointless things, and now, there is only him and Raoul. 

Wherever Raoul goes, he is sure to follow, but it is not enough. He wants Raoul to follow wherever he goes, he wants Raoul to be helpless to his whims and wants, he wants Raoul to want him the way he wants him. Raoul's love is bright, fiery, and passionate, but Erik knows that he loves Raoul more than Raoul could possibly dream of. Why else would he be willing to go this far just for Raoul to be besides him at all times.

One day, Raoul will learn, he thinks to himself, one day, he will love him just as much as he does.

Erik watches Raoul who sleeps besides him peacefully. He looks ethereal, almost like an angel, and Erik's heart is filled with love and so much want that he almost chokes himself from how much he desires. There's too much emotions that it hurts to breathe, too much lust that it aches to exists, and too much hunger that he is hateful to the core.

Watching the boy's fluttering eyelids, Erik kisses it. How he wishes that he could see Raoul's eyes one more time, shining with such love and affection towards him with the prettiest of blues, but Erik just loves Raoul too much to let Raoul go.

His eyes were a small sacrifice to pay if it meant keeping him besides him at all times.

***

Raoul does not like Erik being far from him ever since his blindness. His bandages are done by Erik, his meals are fed to him by Erik, he is bathed and clothed by Erik, and he is entirely reliant on Erik, unable to do anything by himself. 

He does not like it when Erik is even a second away from his side and Erik finds himself unable to go anywhere without Raoul trailing after him. If Erik does not pay close attention to him, he bumps into walls and scrapes his arms against the corners of the mansion.

Raoul had been clumsy previously, but now, he could possibly kill himself with just a misstep. It does not matter though, because Erik does not even dare let Raoul out of his sights anymore, nor does he desire to do so. 

"I'm scared of being alone. It's dark all the time," Raoul pleads to Erik, clutching onto his suit. "Please, I'm sorry for being a bother, but don't leave me."

Erik pats Raoul's head reassuringly. "I could never. No matter what happens, I will be the only one to be by your side, no matter what."

At those words, Raoul's lips quiver and he shakes.

"You're too good for me. I'm sorry," Raoul cries. "I'm sorry that your lover is blind and useless."

Erik almost laughs. Raoul does not have a reason to apologize because that is all Erik had ever wanted. For Raoul to be utterly useless and completely reliant on Erik and Erik, alone. For he cannot do anything without him now. 

It is almost time for his plan to come to fruition. He just needed that one final push. 

***

One morning, Raoul wakes up without Erik. His hands reach out for a man who wasn't there and he's frightened. It is dark, he does not know if it is morning or night, or how long it has been, he only knows that he is alone. He reaches out frantically, reaching further and further, until he's fallen off the bed. There's a dull throb in his ankle, from the horseback riding incident, but he does not care at all, he only touches the floor and crawls in his panic, feeling for the man he couldn't see. 

"Erik? Are you here? Please, you promised you'd stay by me, don't leave me," Raoul cries and digs his nails into hard wooden floor, not making a dent but desperately doing so. "Come, please."

Erik watches from the entrance of the room. He is silent and does not say anything, merely watching as Raoul crawls slowly and unsure, feeling around and crying for Erik.

"Erik, Erik, _I can't see, Erik_ , _I hate it so much, I hate the darkness_ ," Raoul screams and starts to claw at his face in panic. "It's pitch black, please, I'm so scared, it hurts so much."

His nails that were unable to dig at hard wood digs into his own flesh easily and he draws blood. His bandage looses and the tears that stained the bandage start dripping down in droplets, over his wounds and fingers. Erik watches as Raoul desperately claws deeper into his face and his fingers are covered with his own blood as he calls out of Erik's name.

 _How cute_ , Erik thinks to himself, _that Raoul calls for him._

Finally, Erik makes himself known. He steps towards Raoul and picks up, with some difficulty due to Raoul's flailing. He brings him closer and calls for a doctor as Raoul digs his nails into Erik's neck, tearing flesh and drawing blood. Erik does not say anything about it, for he is the cause of Raoul's pain and he feels guilty, watching Raoul cry in pain and tear streaming down his face, mingled with blood, but his want overrides his guilt and he merely hugs him closer.

Eventually Raoul calms down when Erik lands kisses around Raoul's face, whispering sweet words to Raoul. Raoul's hands eventually stop clawing at him and now, he merely sucks in short, staccato breaths, struggling to breathe after crying so furiously. 

"Erik," Raoul whispers, and his hands travel from his neck to his face. "Stay with me. Forever."

"Of course," Erik whispers back, landing a kiss on Raoul's foreheads, trailing down to the tip of his nose, and then his lips. 

Raoul's hands trail down from Erik's face and towards his neck, before reaching the collar of his dress shirt, clutching it tightly. "I'm sorry for being so selfish, but you're all I have. Will you accept me?"

Oh, this was the right choice indeed. What is the use of beautiful eyes if they cannot be his. He's quite glad that he did it, despite the guilt and lack of shiny blue eyes that he loves so much. Otherwise, he'd never have Raoul so desperate, begging him to stay in fear of Erik leaving.

It had been only Erik begging Raoul to stay, but now it is Raoul who wishes Erik to be by his side, willingly. Raoul is lucky that Erik is not like Raoul, who had many distractions, for he only has Raoul in his sights. 

Eyes were the window of the soul, but Raoul's soul was entirely his to enjoy, what use was it now?

"I love you," Erik says and watches and Raoul's depressed demeanor changes into one of timid happiness, his lips turning upwards slightly and he wraps Erik in a hug, almost as if he were afraid of Erik leaving. Too bad, Erik thinks, that he is the one locking Raoul up and the poor boy didn't even know it.

He smiles an ugly smile and watches as Raoul just beams upwards at him, unaware of the possessive, ugly side of him that finally colors his face, making an expression even uglier than his disfigurement. "Yes," He keeps his voice tender, but he feels his own face gets progressively more demented. "I'll be with you, _forever_."

***

They move when Raoul is asleep. Raoul sleeps in the carriage, on Erik's lap, unaware of the move, he only sleeps peacefully and quietly as he digs his face deeper in Erik's lap. Erik strokes his hair and his finger ghost over the closed eyes that had remained closed for the past few weeks. He kisses Raoul's eyelids takes Raoul's hand in his own hands and clutches it tightly. 

Soon, he thinks to himself, soon Raoul will be all his. He just needed to wait a bit more and Erik will finally calm his nervous and anxious heart that fears the loss of Raoul.

And the moment they arrive in their new place, away from all the eyes and people, Erik fucks him instantly. 

Raoul wakes up when Erik's cock is at his entrance and he does not see anything, he stretches his hands out to Erik like he always does to make sure Erik is there with him, before Erik abruptly enters him without a single warning, inserting himself halfway into Raoul. 

" _Erik?_ " Raoul cries out in alarm, and Erik takes the outstretched arms in his own and kisses Raoul softly on the cheeks.

"Do you hate it?" He questions and his voice carries a tinge of sadness. Raoul furiously shakes his head. "N-No, if you like it, you can continue." 

Erik kisses him again before thrusting himself fully into Raoul and Raoul cries out, but lets himself enjoy the kiss, kissing back earnestly and happily. 

Finally, he thinks, to himself. He has Raoul all to himself. There will be no visitors, no Phillipe, no one to take away Raoul, no one could see Raoul, no one can enjoy Raoul like Erik has. Phillipe will come visit to no one and there is nothing he can do about it, for he does not know where Raoul even is.

Without fail, Erik thrusts roughly into Raoul, his body unable to control himself after the realization that Raoul was his possession alone, energetically going in and out quickly, with Raoul struggling beneath him. It does not take Raoul long for him to cum, screaming as he does so, clenching the bedsheets beneath him. 

When they pull away, even without Raoul's eyes, Erik could tell that he wants to cry with the way he scrunches up his nose and the corner of his lips going downwards, his face expressive as ever despite the loss. 

"Wait, Erik," Raoul says and his hands stick out, hitting air until he lowers it and it touches Erik's sides. "C-Can you stop for a bit, it's too much." Erik pauses deep inside Raoul and his walls start twitching around him, clenching and unclenching around him erratically, as if it was having trouble adjusting to his intrusion, unable to deal with just its presence, much less Erik's thrusting. 

"Can't you hold on?" Erik murmurs, as he leans forward to make kiss mark's at Raoul's neck. "For me? I haven't finished yet?"

Raoul seems hesitant, but as soon as he hears Erik's pleas, he nods his head and allows Erik to thrust inside him once again. Erik does so quickly and roughly without missing a beat, ignoring Raoul's previous pleas of going easier and Raoul does not say anything about it again, his fists just clench the bedsheets, unable to say anything and can only moan. 

It is quite sweet, listening to Raoul's cries, and Erik is quite pleased with the way Raoul unfurls beneath him, his closed eyes dripping tears down his face, his tongue peaking out because he's lost feeling in his mouth from how much Erik has been kissing him. He thrusts in and one, rhythmically and mindlessly, only caring to see the way Raoul reacts to every movement. 

His insides were hot and tight and Erik tries to stop himself from reaching his finish multiple times, if only to see Raoul struggle to deal with it. He kisses at Raoul's open mouth and angles himself upwards, to which Raoul clenches around him tighter. He finishes deep inside Raoul, feeling the hot walls become wet with his own finish, gripping him as if it were swallowing him up. 

When he pulls out, his finish pulls out with him, staining Raoul's hole and Erik finds he enjoys it, a place where only he was allowed to touch. All of Raoul is a place only Erik can touch now, for Raoul is alone in his little birdcage. 

For Raoul is his sweet little birdie. He chirps, he flies, he cries, all inside this one birdcage. For as much as he laughs, only Erik can hear it, for as much as he talks, it is only for Erik's ears only, for as much as he smiles, only Erik can see it, for as much as he cries, only Erik can wipe his tears and kiss him softly.

Raoul's face is a mess, it's covered in tears and snot and drool, there's bite marks and lovemarks that color his pale skin and every so often, he twitches, his hole clenching around nothing but air.

He hiccups and he shakes like a leaf, like a small animal in need of care. Erik smiles as he wipes away all the tear and snot on his sleeve, laughing as Raoul shivers. He kisses his forehead, the tip of his nose, his cheeks, and then claims his lips.

 _Chirp for me, birdie_ , Erik thinks to himself, as his tip presses against Raoul's entrance once again.

Raoul quivers at the slight touch and there's a beg almost leaving him mouth that get's cut off by Erik's thrust and when Erik fully thrusts inside, he cries out, louder than before from overstimulation and Erik loves him so much, too much, for his own good. He thrusts once again, upwards to the spot that Raoul likes so, and feels Raoul grip him tighter and cry out louder. 

What a wonderful sound. And it was his, his alone. 

"I-I love you," Raoul cries out, stuttering with each thrust.

Raoul certaintly didn't love him as much as he did, but he was learning to. 

"I love you too," Erik says. _Little birdie._

He finishes inside Raoul again and kisses him on his forehead, down to his nose, and until he captures his lips.


End file.
